Magic bridles and similar gadgets

Dalillama · 02-24-2014, 04:35 PM

Highwayman Nick Nevins had, according to some legends, a magical bridle which gave his horse (any horse) supernatural speed and endurance. Supposing that he purchased this item for points as a Gadget (as RPM does for magical items), would it be built as something like (Affliction +10 FP, +5 Move, Horses only -x%,) with can be stolen, breakable, etc. on top of that? If so, what would x be in the limitation for Only Horses? How about Only Riding Animals? Similar questions might apply to a magical tiller or sail that enhances a ship's performance when attached, and other items of a related nature.

Gef · 02-24-2014, 11:17 PM

Actually, I think it'd be Ally (Horse with Supernatural Speed and Endurance), with the limitations Gadget and Environmental...the environment being any in which you can hotwire a horse.

An ordinary horse would be an Ally with a base cost of 1pt (25% of character's point value), so the bridle-enhanced horse would have a base cost of 2 or 3. Multiply that for frequency of "appearance" which in this case means the chance that the bridle's magic works, both enhancing its speed and endurance and making the horse loyal.

You could extend the concept a bit, say that the spirit of superhorse lives in the bridle. Any horse wearing the bridle becomes superhorse, getting not only speed and endurance, but high Mount skill, better intelligence than a normal horse (say 5 or 6), and good Brawling skill...again, whatever you can fit in a horse ally at 75% of the bridle owner's character point value. Basically, you use one set of stats for the horse, and enhance the Ally advantage with summonable (but still keep the limitation Environmental, to represent starting with a normal horse). You boost a horse, put the bridle on, and it becomes your old familiar ally, but say the horse is killed. Well, only the host has died, you can re-summon your ally into a fresh host. I make the net cost of the advantage to be 12 points or so, if the bridle is Magic (i.e., requires mana to work, another limitation worth -10%).

For the Ally's character sheet, you might apply the disad Fragile (Unnatural), and what it means in this case is not that the horse dies when wrapped, but rather that the spirit of superhorse departs, leaving a scared and badly damaged horse who probably doesn't like you much.

David Johnston2 · 02-24-2014, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dalillama

Highwayman Nick Nevins had, according to some legends, a magical bridle which gave his horse (any horse) supernatural speed and endurance. Supposing that he purchased this item for points as a Gadget (as RPM does for magical items), would it be built as something like (Affliction +10 FP, +5 Move, Horses only -x%,) with can be stolen, breakable, etc. on top of that? If so, what would x be in the limitation for Only Horses? How about Only Riding Animals? Similar questions might apply to a magical tiller or sail that enhances a ship's performance when attached, and other items of a related nature.

I wouldn't bother with the affliction. I'd just buy the extra capability. That it works on your horse rather than you is a feature.

02-24-2014, 04:35 PM	#1
Dalillama Join Date: Nov 2004	Magic bridles and similar gadgets Highwayman Nick Nevins had, according to some legends, a magical bridle which gave his horse (any horse) supernatural speed and endurance. Supposing that he purchased this item for points as a Gadget (as RPM does for magical items), would it be built as something like (Affliction +10 FP, +5 Move, Horses only -x%,) with can be stolen, breakable, etc. on top of that? If so, what would x be in the limitation for Only Horses? How about Only Riding Animals? Similar questions might apply to a magical tiller or sail that enhances a ship's performance when attached, and other items of a related nature.

02-24-2014, 11:17 PM	#2
Gef Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Yucca Valley, CA	Re: Magic bridles and similar gadgets Actually, I think it'd be Ally (Horse with Supernatural Speed and Endurance), with the limitations Gadget and Environmental...the environment being any in which you can hotwire a horse. An ordinary horse would be an Ally with a base cost of 1pt (25% of character's point value), so the bridle-enhanced horse would have a base cost of 2 or 3. Multiply that for frequency of "appearance" which in this case means the chance that the bridle's magic works, both enhancing its speed and endurance and making the horse loyal. You could extend the concept a bit, say that the spirit of superhorse lives in the bridle. Any horse wearing the bridle becomes superhorse, getting not only speed and endurance, but high Mount skill, better intelligence than a normal horse (say 5 or 6), and good Brawling skill...again, whatever you can fit in a horse ally at 75% of the bridle owner's character point value. Basically, you use one set of stats for the horse, and enhance the Ally advantage with summonable (but still keep the limitation Environmental, to represent starting with a normal horse). You boost a horse, put the bridle on, and it becomes your old familiar ally, but say the horse is killed. Well, only the host has died, you can re-summon your ally into a fresh host. I make the net cost of the advantage to be 12 points or so, if the bridle is Magic (i.e., requires mana to work, another limitation worth -10%). For the Ally's character sheet, you might apply the disad Fragile (Unnatural), and what it means in this case is not that the horse dies when wrapped, but rather that the spirit of superhorse departs, leaving a scared and badly damaged horse who probably doesn't like you much. Last edited by Gef; 02-24-2014 at 11:29 PM.